“It is encouraging to see that the vast majority of consumers continue to see franchised dealers as the safest option in the aftersales sector”, said Sue Robinson, Director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), commenting on the latest results of the latest NFDA Consumer Attitude Survey Autumn 2018 published today, Tuesday 9 October 2018.

The NFDA Consumer Attitude Survey Autumn 2018 is the sixth issue of the survey which is commissioned by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) and executed by Public Knowledge*, an independent market research agency, to explore consumer perceptions of franchised dealers, independent garages and high-street national chains in aftersales.

The latest results of the survey showed that 64% of consumers believe franchised dealerships are the safest option to get a car serviced. The main reasons franchised dealers are considered the safest are: their specialist expertise (61%) and having technical equipment for specific types of cars (47%).

Additionally, one in two consumers associate franchised dealers with professionalism (55%), knowledge (48%) and good customer service (47%). This represents a strong result considering that respondents are asked to select as many options as they want amongst a list of several choices.

Of those who regularly use franchised dealers for aftersales service, 93% were satisfied with their overall experience.

Robinson added, “The results of the survey have confirmed a number of optimistic trends. In addition to being seen as the safest, franchised dealers are the most trusted option to service hybrid and electric cars which, considering the changes facing the industry over the next years, is highly encouraging.
“It is positive to see that when consumers use a franchised dealership for aftersales their perceptions improve significantly across all areas, demonstrating the high-quality service franchised dealers offer.

“Going forward, we expect franchised dealers to continue to strengthen their position in aftersales while they keep improving their services to provide motorists with the best possible experience”.

Note to Editors

About the RMI

The Retail Motor Industry represents the interests of operators in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man providing sales and services to motorists and businesses. The RMI has a formal association with the independent Scottish Motor Trade Association which represents the retail motor industry in Scotland.